


Spy-Crossed

by Louzeyre



Category: Veronica Mars (Movie 2014), Veronica Mars (TV), Veronica Mars - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, VMTAP20, lv au week 2020
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:21:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23292394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Louzeyre/pseuds/Louzeyre
Summary: Two Agents. One Bed.
Relationships: Logan Echolls/Veronica Mars
Comments: 26
Kudos: 83
Collections: LV AU WEEK 2020





	1. Safe as Houses

**Author's Note:**

> This isn't as polished as I had hoped, but it is getting posted before midnight (somewhere in the world). 
> 
> I hope you still enjoy it. 
> 
> I would love some feedback. 
> 
> Thank you everyone for reading. I hope you're staying safe.

The first thing she and Logan do when they get to the safe house is make sure it is, in fact, safe.

In the process sweeping for bugs and clearing the few rooms of what should more appropriately called a “safe apartment” they discover two things.

One: as fair as either of their highly trained selves can tell they haven’t been compromised.

Two: there is only one bed.

Over the course of her time working in intelligence, Veronica has shared beds on mission many times. Both platonically and otherwise.

She had not, however, ever had to share a bed with Logan Echolls.

The longer they spent working together. The more missions they completed. The clearer it had become that they draw to each other in a way Veronica had never experienced before.

But the very assignment that had brought them into each other’s lives was also, frustratingly, keeping them apart.

For as long as this assignment continued, their relationship had to be one of asset and handler. And as long they remained asset and handler any other kind of relationship was out of question.

And this assignment just seemed to keep stretching out longer and longer.

Veronica was starting to feel like a character in one of those old T.V. shows where the writers still believed in the Moonlighting Curse.

And now she was going to have to sleep right next to the man she wanted to do so much more to in bed, pressed up against, his powerful, hard ----

“I can sleep on the floor.” Logan offered.

“No.” Veronica answered a bit too quickly. “The floor is gross. I’m not going to make you sleep on it. We’re professionals.” But not that professional “One of us can just sleep on top of the covers.” Logan seemed to think on this for a second.

“Okay.” He said slowly. “Do you want to take a shower first?” She shook her head.

“You injured. You should get cleaned up before anything has a chance to get infected. I’ll try to scrounge us up something to eat.”

For a second it looked like Logan was going to say something. Instead he just gave her a nod and turned towards the bathroom.

After he was gone, Veronica let out a long, frustrated, breath.

What there was to eat, as it turned out, was a meagre supply of canned goods and several boxes of macaroni and cheese. She decided to go with the familiar and grabbed one of the blue boxes.

She had just about finished making the cheesy orange concoction when Logan reappeared.

Apparently, they were going to hit multiple spy clichés tonight because he was shirtless and somewhat awkward holding out bandages and antiseptic cream.

“I am not quite as flexible as I thought.” He told her “Could you?” He gestured towards his back. Veronica swallowed.

“Yeah. Of course.” Logan sat down and Veronica moved to stand behind him.

Veronica was used to working with attractive men. Being in good shape was, after all, something a requirement for their job. Logan, however, was something of a work-a-holic on that front.

Smearing ointment on someone’s back should _not_ be so distracting.

“We’re having mac and cheese for dinner. I hope that doesn’t offend your refined palate.” She told him. She felt more than saw his amused smile.

With the life they led, neither of them had many people that could be completely honest with. Over the last few months, however, they had been able to come close with each other. Closer at least then they could with their civilian friends. Missions often had a lot of down time. Originally, they had just discussed the mission or other work-related things but over time they had drifted into other topics.

Sometimes they were probably way too personal given how short a time they had really known each other. His mom. Her Mom. Why they had gotten into this sort of work.

More often they were ridiculously mundane. Like what they were looking forward to eating when they got back home. Logan preferences had become something of an ongoing joke between them.

“I like eating healthy. That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy other things occasionally or that I’m a snob.” He told her.

There was more to it than that through. Veronica had read some of Logan’s dossier. While her own families’ financial circumstances had meant that Veronica’s had practically lived off boxed mac and cheese during her teen years, Logan’s parents had been rich. The kind of rich where he probably hadn’t realized mac and cheese came in a box --- or as anything other than a cute provincial side-dish at catered picnics --- until at least college.

“Sure. You tell me that now, but in a few minutes, you’re going to be making a face and searching for a stray dog to feed it too. Or complaining that my food preferences are softening the line of your abs.”

“I promised, I will give powdered cheese a chance.” He told her with mock sincerity. “Even if it means I have to do extra sit-ups.”

“You better.” She said. “Or I’m going to eat your share.”.

Logan did, in fact, manage to eat the cheesiness without complaint. After they had finished eating, he even volunteered to do the clean-up while she took her shower.

Her long, cold, shower.

When she had finished, she discovered that not only had Logan washed the dishes, but finished getting ready and laid down on the bed

On top of the covers and turned towards the wall.

Veronica rolled her eyes as his small chivalrous rebellion, and slide under the blankets, turning away from him as well.

Several hours later, she woke up to feel something warm and decided male curled up around her.

Once she was awake enough to remember where she was, she realized that, sometime in the night. Logan must have turned around and unconsciously started to spoon her. Or at least come as close to spooning her as he could with the sheets and bedspread still between them.

Worse, her own arm had escaped from the covers and was now on top of his with their fingers laced together.

Veronica slowly and carefully tried to separate herself from him, eventually turning around in an attempt to more smoothly slip out from underneath Logan’s arm. As she did so, however, Logan blinked awake and gave her a still half-asleep smile.

Veronica could say which one of them moved first, but suddenly their lips were smashing together.

The kiss was deep and desperate and just like how she imagined it would be.

The _rest_ of their bodies, though, were still separated by blankets.

After a few frantic attempts to extricate themselves from the increasingly twisted barrier without ending the kiss, they both had to admit defeat and pull apart.

Once oxygen was flowing towards their brains again, the spell was slightly broken. They both stared at each other, a moment, catching their breath as the realization of what they had almost let happen --- and its potential consequences --- washed over them.

“What are we doing?”

“No idea.”

“If the agency finds out…”

“We’ll be reassigned. I know.”

Again, there was a pause. Then Logan scooted over slightly and leaned his forehead against hers.

“I need you in my life, Veronica.” He finally said “Even if that means we can’t have anything more than what we have.” He closed his eyes then and swallowed as if he was in pain. “But, God Veronica, do I wish we could have something more.”

Veronica swallowed too.

A part of her wanted to lie and say they could keep it a secret. To bridge the small distance now between them and finished what they had started.

But another part of her realized that she needed to keep him in her life too. Even if that meant that they could be together in the way she so, so wanted right now.

To be honest, she isn’t sure which side would win out.

Because that was when they heard the gunshots.


	2. Another Dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is late --- and still a bit less polished than I would like. 
> 
> My only knowledge of spy-craft comes from Alias, Jake 2.0, Chuck and the first two seasons of Cover Affairs so this probably doesn't make sense either. 
> 
> But it sure was fun to write and I hope you enjoy reading it too. 
> 
> Either way I would love some feedback.

Logan and Veronica simultaneously jumped out of bed and began throwing on clothes. Wordlessly, Veronica moved towards the window while Logan went to collect the package they had been sent here to retrieve, along with anything that might identify them. 

Outside Veronica could see three of the four men that had caused them to go to ground and lay low in the safe house earlier that day. On the ground. Bleeding. 

The old saying may be that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, but Veronica has found that isn’t necessarily the case, at least not when valuable information is involved. She doubts that fourth man is coming up to the apartment to shake their hands. Veronica turned and ran back towards the bedroom.

“How much ammo do you have. Because we’re about to have guests.” 

“I know this isn’t my usual line, but I think this might be a flight not fight scenario.” He told her. 

“If you have any suggestions, I’m all ears.” 

“Well, I know you’re not a fan of spelunking but how do you feel about rappelling down the elevator shaft?”

“With what?” She said, gesturing around the mostly empty safe-house.

Logan smirked slightly and held up what looked like a slightly larger than average container of floss. Veronica gave him an incredulous look. 

“Carbon nanotube wire.” He explained. “As thin as fishing line but strong enough to take more than double our weight.” Veronica smirked back.

“Tell the truth, you were an Eagle Scout, weren’t you?” 

“Kicked me out after Cub Scouts actually.” He told her, “But the Navy picked up the slack as far as making sure I was always prepared.” He said, then nodded towards the door. “Come on.” 

Several Weeks Later

The thing about PDA is that it makes people uncomfortable. And distracted. People don’t like to look directly at a canoodling couple. Or feel the need to questions when two people who look like they want to screw each other’s brains out sneak upstairs to find somewhere more private

That was one reason why playing an overly affectionate couple was such a good cover. Especially missions at parties, galas or clubs. Which were a surprisingly common thing.

On this mission, though, Logan was afraid he would end up the one who was distracted. 

After he and Veronica had been interrupted at the safe house, and escaped down the elevator shaft they had picking up their newly cobbled passport at the dead drop, and (temporarily) separated. the authorities were looking for a couple so it was safest to return stateside on different flights from different airports. 

Nine-hours alone in coach had allowed both of them to clear their heads and remember why they were doing this. As well as to remember that while frustrating, their current situation, it was only temporary. 

Eventually they would take down C.A.S.T.L.E. but if they were both going to be on the team that did that, they needed to keep their relationship strictly platonic. For now. 

After that, they would no longer be asset and handler. They could be together. As a normal couple. Or at least as normal as a spy couple could be. They just had to wait a bit longer.

But Logan also knew, that they had come incredibly close to allowing their emotions to overrule their reason in that safehouse. And that was from just from one kiss. 

A really, really great kiss, but still --- just a kiss. 

Tonight, they would have to pretend to be all over each other. 

And then there was the even more terrifying mission on Thursday…

Logan took a breath and reminded himself that he needed to focus on tonight’s mission parameters. 

A message had been intercepted between someone claiming to have to have stolen a microchip containing important intelligence information and a notorious hacker. The thieves had wanted to hire the hacked known only as Apollo. --- to decrypt the chip. 

Apollo had agreed, and the exchange was scheduled to happen at a charity gala tonight. He and Veronica were tasked with trying to identify both the thieves and Apollo. They were also tasked with stealing the chip if at all possible. 

The first part of their counter mission was exactly the same, but they were to make a copy the chip before handing it over. 

All while “pretending” to make googly eyes at each other. 

Veronica emerged from the bathroom as Logan finished with his tie. For a moment, he could only stand there, taking her in. Her hair was done in an elaborate updo and she was wearing a red dress that would make a priest lose focus, much less a humble intelligence officer who was already in love with her.

“You ready for this?” She asked. Logan swallowed.

“Of course.” 

****

As they approached the door, Veronica began to cling to his arm, and tracing her finger along his bicep. 

“Invitation.” The doorman said blandly. Veronica looked up at Logan.

“You did bring the invitation, honey, didn’t you?” She asked in that too high voice she adopted when she was trying to be underestimated. 

“Of course, sugarpuss.” Logan cooed back, and handed the door man their mocked-up invitation. Logan reached over and grasped Veronica’s hand, pulling it towards him. He kissed the tips of her fingers, prompting her to giggle. 

The doorman grimaced and handed them back the invitation without really looking at it. 

“Enjoy your evening, sir.” He told then dully. Logan smiled. 

“Oh, we will.” 

As they crossed the threshold into the gala itself, Logan seamlessly raised his arm and wrapped it around Veronica, then let his fingers trail along her waist.

She retaliated by attaching herself to his side like a second skin and drawing finger hearts on his chest as they started to make a circuit around the room. 

Logan rested is cheek against the top of Veronica’s head, using their apparent intimacy to study the people on one side of the room while Veronica did the same on the other. 

About a quarter of the way around the room, Logan leaned down and kissed Veronica behind her ear, then whispered.

“There’s a man at my three o’clock that seems familiar, but I can’t place him.” 

“Move towards the refreshment table so I can get a better look.” Veronica told him. With purposeful langur they walked towards the deserts and separated slightly so that Veronica was now facing the man in question.

Logan picked up one of the chocolate covered strawberries on the table and held it up to her. Veronica opened her mouth and he fed it to her, causing her to make an indecent sound. Then she swallowed and licked her lips, and Logan had to shift his stance slightly. 

“Gory Sorokin. He’s Russian mafia. We crossed paths briefly on a mission a couple of years ago.”

“Will he recognize you?” He asked. Veronica thought a second.

“I don’t think so. I was a red head then. And he didn’t exactly spend much time looking at my face.” 

Logan clenched his teeth, but otherwise managed to hid how much he wanted to move across the room to punch the guy in the face. He supposed that was a sign of growth.

“Could he be our thief?” 

Veronica gave him a skeptical look. 

“It seems a bit above his pay grade.” She said, considering. “And his intelligence.” She let out a small breath which let him know she had seen something he couldn’t. “It seems more likely he’s here to make a deal with the known drug smuggler he’s currently talking to.” Veronica told him. She plucked up another of the strawberries and fed it to him, subtlety turning his head towards the pair.

Gory was speaking to a man that, despite being impeccable well dressed and groomed still somehow gave off the aura of having sampled a bit too much of his own product. So, did Gory for that matter.

Logan was about to suggest they continue walking around the room, when he saw Gory squint and frown in their direction.

“Veronica? I think Gory might remembers a bit more of you than you thought.” 

Veronica glanced over and stiffened slightly. 

“Shit.” She said. She looked up at Logan and gave him an overly large smile “Dance with me?”

Logan gave a slightly strained smile back and allowed Veronica to lead him onto the dance floor.

He spun Veronica into a turn as they reached a small clearing between couples, and making sure to place his own body so as to shield Veronica from Gory’s view. Within moments they had both fallen into rhythm --- with the music and with each other. 

After a couple of minutes, the slight, almost imperceivably tension in Veronica’s body relaxed somewhat. 

“Gory’s given up trying to place me.” She told him, nodding towards the mobster’s direction. The small knot at the bottom of Logan’s stomach loosened. 

“And,” She said, brightening, “I think I may have spotted our thieves.” 

Veronica subtlety back led them into a position where they could both see an overly amorous couple by one of the tables. 

“You know, there are people who actually are actually that into each other.” He reminded her. Veronica gave him a bit of a smirk. 

“I just saw her dig her heel into his shin after he tried to squeeze her ass.”

Logan looked down at Veronica with a fondness that didn’t need to be feigned. 

“Amateurs.” Veronica smiled back at him a second and shifted slightly.

“Amateurs or not, they’re on the move.” She told him, drawing his attention back towards where the couple was now moving from their table towards one of the side entrances. 

“Think you can get us to the other side of the dance floor without arising suspicion, twinkle toes?” She asked.

Logan answered her by pulling her into another spin.

He didn’t exactly follow proper ballroom etiquette, but in less than a minute they had shimmed, stepped and spun through the crowd of couples, to the edge of the dance floor.

As they stepped from the parquet to the convention center carpeting, Veronica paused, and wrapped her arms around his neck. She reached up onto her tip-toes and gave him a kiss that it took ever ounce of his training not to get lost in. 

“Had to make it look real.” She explained. He was still a bit dazed as she tugged him towards the exit the other couple had just disappeared through.


	3. Thanks but No Thanks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who commented or kudoed!
> 
> This chapter isn't as long or as polished as I would have wanted, but July 1st kind of crept upon me. 
> 
> I hope you still enjoy it. 
> 
> Please, let me know what you think. Any feedback would be wonderful.
> 
> Happy Trope-a-palooza!

An auction was supposed to take place towards the end of the gala. Their thieves had apparently bribed the security guard to be elsewhere while they met with Apollo in the staging area, among the lots.

Veronica and Logan silently slipped into the room and hid behind a particularly hideous painting.

A lot of the lots were pretty hideous, actually.

Their thieves were standing in front of a sculpture that looked more like a partially melted traffic cone than artwork.

As she watched, Veronica realized they weren’t just waiting for their contact, but were examining the orange atrocity with far too much interest for anyone with eyes.

Suddenly a piece fell into place and she realized that the thieves weren’t meeting Apollo here. Apollo had the chip and decoded it. The thieves were here to retrieve it by buying that disastrous “art”.

Except, of course, they were thieves. And they were trying to avoid the paying part of the equation by getting the chip out of the sculpture before the auction.

They also, for some reason, seemed to want to keep the sculpture intact.

“Please tell me I get to smash that eyesore.” Logan whispered beside her.

“I thought you liked orange.”

“Despite what you think, liking orange and having no taste are not the same thing.”

Veronica shot Logan a look of disbelief.

“How about this.” She said lowly. “You take Mr. Grabby, I’ll take Miss Kicky and whoever takes out their target firsts, gets to knock it over.”

“Deal.”

The two of them moved out from behind the painting in sync. Then crept up to where the two thieves were still standing, distracted by the sculpture.

“You know” Logan quipped. “Their asking price is way too high, if you ask me.”

The couple turned. Veronica and Logan each punched them in their respective faces.

Several minutes of fist-a-cuffs and a rather impressive spiny thing later, the thieves were unconscious on the floor and Veronica’s hands hovered next to the sculpture, waiting to push it over.

“This is going to be loud.” Veronica warned. “Be ready to run.”

It took more force than she was expecting to shove the thing off the pedestal, but it soon went crashing to the ground.

Once it was in pieces, she and Logan quickly shifted through the rubble and found the chip.

Then they hurried out of the room.

As they had made their way into the more public rooms of the hotel where the gala was being held, Veronica draped herself over Logan.

As they passed the security guard Veronica reached up on her tip toes and nibbled on Logan’s ear.

Just to complete the ruse, of course.

****

Beside her, Veronica heard Logan take a steadying breath.

After a moment, he offered his hand to her.

As she slipped her hand into his she could feel the tension radiating off of him and offered him a small squeeze of reassurance.

Veronica had been in college when she was recruited into C.A.S.T.L.E.

One of her professors had worked for the organization, and used his class to find promising recruits.

Veronica had been one of them.

After she had passed the initial selection process, she had been told C.A.S.T.L.E. was a black-opts division of the CIA, and offer the chance to train to be one of their agents

. And like an idiot she had believed them and accepted.

Even more idiotically, she had continued to believe them. For years.

It had not been until her best friend at the organization --- one of her best friends period --- had been killed on what should have been a routine mission that she had begun to doubt.

That was also when she discovered that Lilly had had more than doubts. Lilly had left Veronica a key to a storage space. Inside Veronica had found rows of evidence Lilly had been gathering for more than two years against C.A.S.T.L.E.

Evidence against Lilly’s own father.

Evidence, Veronica was all but certain, that had led to Lilly’s death.

Veronica had gone to the real CIA then. And they had asked her to act as a double agent.

For Logan, she knew, the path towards intelligence work had been less direct.

He had joined the Navy after college and become a Naval Aviator.

He had suffered an injury, however, that while relatively mild by pretty much any other standard had grounded him.

Naval intelligence had seen potential in him, however, as well as seen potential in his situation.

He had been transferred to Naval Intelligence then “loaned out” to an actual black-op team at the CIA who were tasked with bringing down C.A.S.T.L.E.

To C.A.S.T.L.E. and the rest of the intelligence community, Logan was as a disgruntled former hot shot pilot who resented having to finish out his career riding a desk. Which made him an ideal target.

The CIA had already had one double agent within C.A.S.T.L.E. Someone whose name, much to her annoyance, Veronica had yet to be trusted with.

She did know that they must be fairly high up in the organization, however, because they had been able to arrange for Veronica to be tasked with the mission to seduce, turn and recruit Logan.

That meant that C.A.S.T.L.E. believed that Veronica had successfully spring a honey trap on Logan and was now both his lover and his handler.

In reality they both were working for the CIA, Logan was _her_ handler and despite an abundance of chemistry and some serious mutual longing on both sides, regulations meant they couldn’t have a real romantic relationship.

And all of their friends and family believed that thought Veronica worked for a bank and she and Logan had been dating for months.

Veronica steeled herself, then reached up and knocked on the door.

A moment later, the door opened to reveal Shae Fennel.

“Happy Thanksgiving!” Veronica announced. Logan held up the bottle of wine they had brought as his greeting.

Shae leaned over and pulled them both into a hug.

“Oh, thank God you’re here." She breathed out in relief. "And you brought booze.”


End file.
